Fastening for closures of envelops.



No. 805,389. PATENTED NOV. 21,1905.

L. G. SWANSON. FASTENING FOR OLOSURES 0P ENVELOPS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FASTENING FOR CLOSURES OF ENVELOPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed January 30, 1905. Serial No. 243,232.

To all whom ii may concern:

Be it known that I, LUDVIG G. SwANsoN, a Citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastenings for the Closures of Envelops, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion.

This invention relates to improved fastenings for the closures of envelops, paper boxes, cartons, or the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a fastening which is operable between the en- 5 velop-flap and back or between corresponding portions of a carton, which is susceptible of being most conveniently brought to its interlocking and fastening relation, and which when brought to such relation remains absolutely secure in its confinement, rendering it impossible to open the flap or back Without tearing one or both of the flaps thereof.

The invention consists in a closure-fastening for envelops and the like operable between the flap and the portion onto which the flap closes, consisting of a tongue of sheet material provided to one part and a slit formed in the other part, said tongue being transversely shouldered back from its end and made with a plurality of parallel lengthwise-extending alternated ridges and furrows, and therefore rendered transversely contractible and distensible.

The invention includes other features of novelty, as hereinafter pointed out.

In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is a face view of the back of an open envelop made with the novel fastening therefor. Fig. 2 is a face view of the back of a closed envelop with the fastening device as in its back-flap-confining position. Fig. 3 is across-section,enlarged, on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modification in the form and manner of attachment to the envelop of the fastening device. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the fastening device shown in Fig. 4 accompanied bya projection of the end thereof. Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view as taken on line 6 6, Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a sectional view somewhat similar to Fig. 6, but showing a provision in a paper box of a part coasted advantageously with the fastening device.

The same or similar characters represent corresponding parts in all of the views.

In the drawings, particularly referring to Figs. 1 to 3, A represents an envelop, of which B is the back thereof, and C the sealing-flap,

which in'Fig. 1 is shown as having the marginal gummed surfacing a, as usual. The back 6 of the envelop has a comparatively short longitudinal slit 6 centrally located between the ends of the envelop and about as far below the folding-line as the depth of such flap. The folding flap centrally at its free edge is provided with a tongue D, of paper or other suitable sheet material, which is approximately triangular in shape and has shoulders (Z (Z at its base portion adjoining the edge of the sealing-flap (1, which shoulders are constituted by the narrow slits ff, making an intermediate neck of a little less width than the length of the slit 6, while the width of the shouldered portion of the tongue is somewhat greater than the length of the slit as seen in Fig. l. The tongue may have a stay or fastening portion 9, so that by being separately made it may be fastened to the envelop sealingflap by glue or paste, or, if'so desired, the tongue may be integrally formed with the sealing flap. The tongue, while made of sheet material of a uniform thickness, has a plurality of parallel alternated ridges and furrows 2' i extending longitudinally of the-tongue that is, on lines transversely of the width of the envelop and at right angles to the boundaryline of the shoulders (Z cZand these corrugations render the tongue transversely contractible and distensible, so that when the envelop is closed and the tapering tongue inserted through the slit 6 in the envelopback the tongue will yield or become contracted in its width for easy entrance through the slit and without tearing the paper at the ends or margins thereof, the natural reaction from the resiliency of the ridged and furrowed or corrugated tongue causing it to resume its widened condition, which may be further increased by pressure purposely brought by the fingers against the back of the envelop or which in the natural course of events may come in the piling up or the transmission of closed and fastened envelops. The furrowed or fluted tongue may have on its side opposite the inner side of the sealing-flap a surfacing of gum, so that by moistening the tongue preparatory to fastening the closure the tongue will become stuck in the closed envelop against the inner side of the envelop-back and away from the letter to be sent in the envelop. Anyattempt to detach the tongue from its interlocking engagement by its shoulders, which extend beyond the ends of the slit 6, will result in a rupture of the envelop-back, which will be easily discerned. The tongue is made of any suitable material, such as paper, clothwhich will advantageously be stiffened by sizing or a surfacing of gum eelluloid, or any other material having fitness to the purpose.

While this fastening device is not restricted to being formed as a permanent part of the envelop, as has been described in the preferred exemplification of the invention, it will be found useful to employ the device in the form and manner rendered apparent in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, wherein both the envelop-back and the closing-flap have slits b 6 and the fastening device consists of a strip 1) of paper or the like, having at both its ends the tapered longitudinally-corrugated tongues D D having at their bases the shoulders (Z (Z formed as the boundaries of the transvere slits or recesses f f One-of the end tongues of the strip being interlocked through the slit 6 of the envelop-back is after the closing-flap C is folded down onto the back also inserted through the slit 5 in such flap, the actions of the tongues for confinement being substantially the same in each of its situations of engagement as in the first-described instance. In Fig. 5 a number :12 is shown on the strip between the end tongues, which may be employed as a check or safeguard in the transmission of letters or packets. The sender may know the number of the particular fastening he employs in a given case and may advise the addressee by an independent communication to the end of safeguarding the transmission. In Fig. 4: reinforcement is represented at f, covering the area surrounding the slitb". This reinforcement consists of cloth glued in place in the manner and for effect as obvious.

In Fig. 7 the double tongue-fastening, similar to that shown in Figs. & to 6, is represented as employed for fastening the closure of a paper box A having slits b If in the closingflaps thereof, and the inner closing-flap is shown as provided with a supplemental flap m, secured in place by one portion and free at another, so as to make the open-mouth pocket 71, within which thetongue D may enter the flaps m, affording a support or abutment against which the tongue may have bearing to become flattened, and thereby distensible, all as may be considered desirable in cases where the contents of the box are not such as to affect in'a desired manner the fastoning-tongue.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A closure-fastening for envelops and the like operable between the flap and envelopback, consisting of a tongue provided to the one part and a slit formed in the other part, said tongue being transversely shouldered back from its end and made with alternated longitudinal ridges and furrows, or flutes, and therefore transversely contractible and distensible.

2. In an envelop or the like'having a'elosurefastening, the parts, namely, the envelop-back and'the flap to overlap on the outer side thereof, one of-said parts havinga slit,-and a supplemental flap at its inner side unattached at one edge, and lying across the slitted portion of such part, and the other part having a fastening-tongue engaged therewith, which is transversely shouldered back from its free end and made with alternated longitudinal ridges or furrows, or flutes, and adapted to be inserted for a locking engagement through the said slit and to have a facewise bearing against said supplemental flap.

Signed by me at Springfield, 'Massachusetts, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LUDVIG G. SWANSON. 

